National Nurses United

6 N A T I O N A L N U R S E W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G A P R I L | M AY 2 0 1 4 NEWS BRIEFS CALIFORNIA A t a may 6 rally and press conference, Kaiser Permanente registered nurses and consumer advocates exposed the fact that the giant health- care system has accumulated a reserve that is $21.7 billion—1626 percent—more than required by the state, even while cutting patient care services, understaffing hospi- tals, and raising premiums on consumers. During the press conference, California Nurses Association/National Nurses United also announced its endorsement of a meas- ure that will appear on this November's ballot to regulate health insurance rates in California. The initiative can force refunds to consumers based on such excessive amounts held in reserve and will force insurers to justify rate hikes. According to Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watch- dog and a proponent of the measure, Kaiser has already contributed $7.1 million against the rate regulation initiative. "When I heard that Kaiser Permanente has $21.7 billion in excess reserve funds, I was shocked," said April Ancheta, an RN at Kaiser in Antioch for more than six years, who called Kaiser's reserves "ridiculous." Ancheta described how her unit is so under- staffed that she and her colleagues often hear bed alarms and chair alarms go off, but are so busy with other more critical patients that they are unable to immediately respond. "I know that person is a fall risk and they're trying to get to the bathroom. They probably have pushed the button and nobody is still coming. We should be mad about the $21.7 billion. It should be used for patient care." Even as it has amassed almost $22 billion, Kaiser in January hiked rates for individual policyholders by as much as 22 percent (costing policyholders $59 million) and for small business policyholders by as much as 56 percent (costing policyholders $18 million). In addition to understaffing, Kaiser is also cutting patient services, such as elimi- nating any inpatient pediatric unit for its southern Alameda County area, and elimi- nating services and entire hospital units at Kaiser Manteca. "Kaiser nurses cannot stand by quietly while Kaiser is hiking rates, cutting care, and accumulating vast reserves," said Katy Roemer, a Kaiser Oakland RN and a member of the CNA/NNU board of directors. Kaiser increased its excess reserve, or tangible net equity, by $8.8 billion in 2013, according to state records. The Kaiser RNs fight understaffing, service cuts even as HMO sits on $22 billion in extra reserves

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